In-Game Skill Development for the Reincarnated Hero! It wasn’t the most joyous task…
Of course, there are players who must max out their skills and fill their inventory to the brim before moving to the next stage, but I wasn’t that intense. Still, I agreed on putting some effort into skill development.
After all, it doesn’t cost anything, and with a bit of farming, I can play in optimal condition. Why risk a game over by pushing myself too hard when that just wastes more time?
So, pouring effort into skill development was one of my gameplay styles.
And now, that conviction was starting to change.
“Skill development is just like… blah.”
…
“Tilt your head back a bit more.”
“Stick your chin out.”
“Control the strength in your ring finger.”
At some point, the Elf Archer, Selena, had started giving me unsolicited advice.
Seeing that made me feel like we had developed some level of intimacy, but…
Anyway, I was getting a real feel for how easy it was to tap away at keyboard buttons in a game.
My fingers were beginning to tingle, and as my arms started to lose all sensation, turning into balloon animals, I truly hit my limit.
“U-ugh… just… here.”
That was the voice of someone who had invested everything not in strength, but in luck.
As I slumped down and quietly caught my breath, Selena let out a small sigh and approached.
“No need to be discouraged. You’ve grown a little.”
“No, that’s not it… whew.”
I wasn’t discouraged, just genuinely exhausted.
I mean, I had a crossbow, so I just needed to assume the right posture without even pulling the string.
I had heard that strength was important for archers, but I never thought it would be this hard…
But feeling that Gailon was an absolute fool overlooking melee fighting due to a drop in dignity was quite rich.
Clang!
[Crossbow Skill Level (5)]
[Exp: 45/100]
Growth… her assessment was spot on.
I had managed to fill my skill to 45.
According to the Reincarnated Hero setting, skill levels can’t be raised by mere grinding beyond level 5.
To prevent macro farming, from level 5 onward, you need real experience in dungeons or training from specialized instructors.
——————————————————
[Selena Windforce]
▶[Status Average]
: 2.4
▶[Specialization]
: Bow Mastery (7)
▶[Unique Traits]
: Calm (Lv.3) (Details not available)
——————————————————
In that context, Selena was far superior to me when it came to archery, thus she was qualified to teach me.
Simply looking at statistics, she matched Gailon with her skill level of 7.
The required skill level for learning Wind Archery was 6.
Thanks to luck, I managed to inch towards that… otherwise, I’d have to go through Hell Week.
So I had to make the most of having her around.
Fill half today and half tomorrow? That would be a two-day cut.
“Let’s go again.”
“…That sounds tough.”
Selena seemed a little surprised by my burning enthusiasm.
*
“I’m dying…”
Did I push it too far at the end?
Selena seemed to know my body better than I did.
I should have stopped when she said it was too much.
The training became increasingly like real combat, and now I had to engage in mock battles with her.
The practice arrows were blunt and dull, with protective gear making it less likely to get hurt, but just like the saying goes, “A light rain can wet your clothes,” my body was protesting in pain.
If Aria hadn’t come to heal me halfway through, I’d have been pounded into a hedgehog.
“My whole body aches…”
Eventually, it was past midnight when I headed back to the dormitory.
After my late-night outing, I decided to inform the dorm supervisor if I was going to come back late due to personal affairs.
Communicating this way was more of a duty from the dorm supervisor than any concern from Yeriel about me.
Even though I was third-rate, I was still a student of Claris,
And while she had no one else in her shared dormitory, she also bore the title of dorm supervisor.
In other words, let’s separate work from personal matters.
Creak…
However, I was surprised to see Yeriel in the dormitory lobby when I thought she’d already be asleep.
“You’re here…”
Yeriel, yawning and rising from her rocking chair.
I couldn’t think of any reason other than she was waiting for me unless new freshmen were coming in at the crack of dawn.
“Lev, can you sit here for a moment…?”
She invited me to sit on the couch opposite her.
Could it be she heard about the duel…?
Yeriel, carefully handing me a cup of fragrant tea, tentatively asked.
“I heard the news. You’re set to duel this weekend, right…?”
It truly was about the duel.
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t that… scary?”
I was taken aback by the unexpected question.
Instead of asking why I was having a duel or whether I regretted it, she simply wanted to know if it was scary.
“It’s not like I’m facing demons; there’s no real reason to be scared.”
“Right. But your opponent is an upperclassman, Gailon from the Marksman club… it’s quite risky.”
Yeriel’s concern was genuine.
She probably had some inkling of how Gailon would perform in the duel.
He was a second-year who was promoted based on skill, and being at the top of his class tells you he was no slouch.
“It won’t be an easy fight. If I surrender now…”
“Sorry, but I’m not planning on losing either.”
“Uh…?”
I understood Yeriel’s reasons for worrying.
First, her goodwill didn’t discriminate. That’s just how she was.
Second, I had too many demerit points.
In this skill-oriented academy, responsibilities for duels between students fell solely on the individuals involved.
In short, in case of trouble, only the duel’s result would define the liabilities, meaning actions leading up to the duel could be recorded as demerit points against the loser.
Simply put, I had 49 demerit points, so if I lost the duel, expulsion was the only outcome.
And that was undoubtedly the reason for Yeriel’s worries.
As the dorm supervisor, it would be disappointing to send off the first dorm student like this.
Reluctantly, I raised my voice, sounding like a third-rate character.
“Accountability to oneself is what we pledge in this academy’s duels, isn’t it?”
“…”
Though it felt awkward, it was true.
“Rather than worrying about me, Yeriel, I wish you’d focus on your work.”
“Uh…? Okay…?”
“The midterms are coming up soon.”
“Oh, right…”
“And according to Claris Academy’s customs, you’ll have to take on the role of party leader as an Elder soon.”
“True.”
Yeriel nodded and acknowledged my points.
There was a reason I was drawing the line here.
As a second-year student, she would meet Edwin for the first time as an Elder in the upcoming dungeon practice episode.
And while she was supposed to be a Elementalist, she would successfully manifest and interact with spirits.
In Chapter 2, as Edwin awakens to elemental attacks, Yeriel regains her sense of self-worth.
However, her elemental magic required high concentration and time.
As she had many potential combinations for mana reallocation, spending time on me could jeopardize her spirit contact.
Furthermore, it would be a key factor in acquiring Wind Archery.
So for my sake, Yeriel had to succeed in connecting with the spirits.
Ultimately, I put my foot down.
“You have plenty to do, so no need to feel pity for me. It’s easier for both of us.”
“That… it’s not pity! It’s just that being hurt is risky. I only worried because I care! If I’ve offended you, I apologize…”
Is she an angel?
Despite me scolding her like a third-rate villain, she apologizes instead.
“Sorry for overstepping. Still, I believe you, Lev, will win this… So can I root for you?”
“Do as you like. I’m tired.”
“…!”
Clang!
[Life Achievement]
[Third-rate Flirtation! : Earned 10 Supporting Role Points]
I left behind her lost gaze and the clueless status screen and headed to the second floor.
I wasn’t in a good mood either, but right now, she needed to focus on Edwin.
Unlike Aria and Selena, who were growing alongside me, Yeriel was the main heroine, entrenched in a romantic position with Edwin.
She had lost value at an alarming rate in Hwanseangaka due to waffling between Caeran and Edwin.
I couldn’t bear to watch that again.
*
The next day, at the Claris Academy Shooting Practice Room.
Only 12 hours before the duel, I finally reached crossbow skill level 6.
In between, Aria came to heal my fatigue with her recovery magic, granting me endless stamina, and with the power of the luck trait, it made all of this possible.
Never again, never again.
And my mentor, Selena, looked as perfect as ever, with not a single hair out of place.
With a cold tone, she remarked.
“At this level, it’s passable.”
“…!”
Rather than responding, I silently cheered inside.
In front of me, the crossbow bolts were centered in the target area.
Selena was putting me through the wringer—like crazy.
And it seemed the minimum requirement to satisfy her was skill level 6.
Skill level differences from 5 to 6, and 6 to 7 might seem small on the surface, but between that gap lay immense time and effort.
“Make sure to rest. Rest is also training.”
“I was already planning to do that without you saying.”
We had become close, or at least, I felt that way.
During the training, void of any small talk, it was just shooting and correcting, shooting and correcting.
But isn’t there something like comradery or the bond between master and student?
-……
An awkward silence fell again.
It was time to pack up.
Today’s training was over.
Then she spoke.
“…Tomorrow.”
In those two words of Selena lay immense implications.
You’ve come this far; you’ve given it your all, and you’ve developed more than expected.
But you won’t be able to win against Gailon.
I anticipated that it might all end up this way.
Foreseeing the poor outcome, she seemed hesitant to say more.
I gave a lighthearted laugh and shot her a quip.
“Well, I ended up not learning Wind Archery.”
In return, instead of voice, she gave me a fleeting smile.
“Actually, I didn’t learn Wind Archery either.”
“Oh, really.”
Though I knew that piece of information, I responded nonchalantly.
Not having learned Wind Archery had remained a secret from Selena until the first semester ended.
It appeared to be her way of opening up, but perhaps she didn’t expect I’d react so readily, as her expression turned oddly enigmatic.
“Still.”
“…?”
At this moment, I naturally extended my hand toward her.
“Thanks. You’ve worked hard.”
On the surface, it looked like I was offering a handshake.
——————————————————
▶[Abyssal Healing Method (解呪法)] [Lv.Ex] (Active) (Ultimate Technique)
: Consumes all mana to dispel curses up to Grade 8. (One-time use)
Exp: (0/0)
Acquisition Difficulty: Hard
——————————————————
But internally, I was hoping for… physical contact for healing.
Even if someone knows how to heal, it requires time and preparation.
However, thanks to my gamer skills, I could simply touch hands with her and it would suffice.
Yet, such interactive skills couldn’t be used with unilateral contact, which is why I opted for a handshake.
-……
I calmed my racing heart as I awaited her response.
